Does anyone have an opinion on a good server for running linux on? I am looking for a server to run some scripts on and webhostings. If you have experience with running sql/http, php scripts on linux, I would like to know if you have any options on what servers to look at that are on the market today.

My applications use a lot of bandwidth and CPU. I currently run on 8 difference VPS servers just to keep my scripts running, so they use a lot of CPU for a VPS. THere is also a lot of I/O to disk to read/write from files and I need something that can handle a lot of IO?

Any options?

08-09-2012

mizzle

100% go with Dell. You might pay a little more, but you get what you pay for. Pay for next day support. CRUs are cross shipped, and arrive next business day from the start of RMA.

Performance is going to hinge on your budget. RAID 1 is faster than RAID 5, go with 2 10k or 15k SAS drives in RAID 1, hardware RAID not software.

I highly recommend installing VMware ESXi 5 as bare-metal OS, and virtualize your guests. This will make upgrading your environment in the future much easier, and will allow you to over-provision your hardware to an extent. IE, 5 VMs with 2gb RAM each, on only 8gb physical RAM, because not every server will be using the full 2gb at once.

However, I would see if there's a way to make my applications more efficient rather than jumping to physical hardware if VPSes are meeting your needs. Adjusting default settings for MySQL InnoDB engine can boost performance significantly. If you're running web apps, consider breaking up your VPS (assuming you don't have to pay for back-end traffic, see if you can work something out with your host) environment into web and db servers.

08-09-2012

billy545455

Hello. I would say that if you want something that will go through hell and back, get a HP Proliant server. Now the costs vary. different ones are for different things. They are designed specifically for IO and long uptime. I peronally use the HP Proliant DL series, (dl380 g7 to be exact). which actually has an option for configuring your server for IO performance. You get multiple hard drives in the front bay, and multiple physical CPUS. The purpose of the servers are to be in cluster and easily to replace parts. The power supply and fans and processors simply slide in and out. if DL doesnt do it for you, just stick with HP. they are really really good with their design and customer support. Dell is also a good choice but i choose HP. Also, MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW HOW MANY PHYSICAL PROCESSORS COME WITH THE SERVER! Some come with one physical PU, but can take 2-4. same with the power supplies. Hope i helped. Also, the Hard drive speed is 240 MB/S if you use rade 1 with the scsi ultra wide-3 drives

08-10-2012

Steven_G

Just another POV: I wouldn't touch another Dell with a 50 meter cattle prod to me head. I've had absolutely horrible experiences with them over the last 10 years. Too many to list here, but they cross the gamut: billing, customer support, technical support, service calls and a lot of their hardware is janked up.

My wife bought a 1501 laptop from them before we met. When I took over admin on it I spent two years trying to figure why it was constantly infected. I kew my sec was better than that. (Long before I started getting in to *nix.) Turns out that it had a tracking chip on the MoBo that is turned on by default in all Dell laptops (unless you specifically request that it not be activated at time of purchase). The chip calls home and reports its geolocation on every boot. The doze program stored on the chip is designed to hide itself from the doze API interface.

So basically it's a hardwired rootkit. It completely blew the back out of *any* attempts at sec b/c the script kiddies were way ahead of me, knew it was there and were using the hardcoded rootkit to hide their crap. And it was an absolute friggin nightmare to hack that stupid thing in to a non-functional state b/c Dell didn't want you to be able to do so. And the system was designed to prevent you from doing so.

If I had another 1-1&1/2 hours I could sit here and type up the rest of my decade worth of Dell nightmares.

Run Forest, run!

08-11-2012

mizzle

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steven_G

My wife bought a 1501 laptop from them before we met. When I took over admin on it I spent two years trying to figure why it was constantly infected. I kew my sec was better than that. (Long before I started getting in to *nix.) Turns out that it had a tracking chip on the MoBo that is turned on by default in all Dell laptops (unless you specifically request that it not be activated at time of purchase). The chip calls home and reports its geolocation on every boot. The doze program stored on the chip is designed to hide itself from the doze API interface.

You're full of it.

08-14-2012

Steven_G

Quote:

Originally Posted by mizzle

You're full of it.

I'll be a whooooooooooole lots of nicer than normal and just leave it at you's should be getting yourself some edumacations before you start casting dispersions.

(BTW, computrace is activated on all dell laptops, with or without LoJack, unless you specifically request at the time of purchase that it not be activated. Just another reason to switch to *nix: It will only run in doze / Mac environments.)

(BTW, computrace is activated on all dell laptops, with or without LoJack, unless you specifically request at the time of purchase that it not be activated. Just another reason to switch to *nix: It will only run in doze / Mac environments.)

I don't doubt the existence of the tracking chip, just that you discovered some root kit installed in said chip. Find me one substantiated actual exploit, and I'll agree with you. Otherwise, you're full of it.

08-14-2012

Steven_G

You obviously didn't bother to actually read any of it or dig in to any of the links. This was inside (at the bottom) of "one to grow on".

Of course the manfacturer denies it. Go argue with the guy who did a demo at Black Hat. I'm just a security gaurd. I don't make this stuff up. I just read a lot of people that know a lot more than I do.

BTW, this exploit is now included in your "standard" build your own malware "point and click" GUI compilers.

-----------------------------------

EDIT:

After I went through a loooooooooooooot of trouble to disable the thing (after reading a lot of people that know a lot more than I do to figure out how) that machine never got another infection on it before I took doze off of it; not one, for about two years.

And, all the manufacturer denied was that you could change the stuff on the chip to make the changes permanent. However, since it reinstalls itself on first run and not only is it white listed by AVs, but parts of it are in (normally) hidden registry values then it is very easy for malware to "ride in on its coat tails"; even after a reformat.

08-15-2012

mizzle

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steven_G

You obviously didn't bother to actually read any of it or dig in to any of the links. This was inside (at the bottom) of "one to grow on".

Of course the manfacturer denies it. Go argue with the guy who did a demo at Black Hat. I'm just a security gaurd. I don't make this stuff up. I just read a lot of people that know a lot more than I do.

BTW, this exploit is now included in your "standard" build your own malware "point and click" GUI compilers.

-----------------------------------

EDIT:

After I went through a loooooooooooooot of trouble to disable the thing (after reading a lot of people that know a lot more than I do to figure out how) that machine never got another infection on it before I took doze off of it; not one, for about two years.

And, all the manufacturer denied was that you could do what the researchers did and change the stuff on the chip to make the changes permanent. However, since it reinstalls itself on first run and not only is it white listed by AVs, but parts of it are in (normally) hidden registry values then it is very easy for malware to "ride in on its coat tails"; even after a reformat.

Interestingly enough, there aren't any hotfixes or patches for this. I'm sure Dell and HP and all the other manu's are just letting this super critical rootkit vulnerability go unaddressed for all this time.

08-15-2012

Steven_G

Quote:

Originally Posted by mizzle

Interestingly enough, there aren't any hotfixes or patches for this. I'm sure Dell and HP and all the other manu's are just letting this super critical rootkit vulnerability go unaddressed for all this time.

OK, what part of go argue with the guy who did the demo at Black Hat did you not get the first time?

And, even I know enough about sec to know that stuff can go years without getting fixed; especially if the company that supplies the tech denies there is a problem.

One of the guys I read went here a couple of months back and just for poops and giggles tried several dozen old DOS exploits on 7. Most did not work. But a few did, and he rated two of them as critical; DOS EXPLOITS!!! (I suppose you want a link for that now too?)

MS has a track record of letting known, publicly announced exploits go six months or more without fixing them. And some that they try to fix they have to keep trying for a year or two before they get it right.

So, what's so shocking about the script kiddies discovering something a year or two before it went public and it still not being fixed three years later?

I mean what is it? Did you buy a lot of Dell laptops for your company and now you're afraid you're going to lose your job? Or are just you P.O.'d that a security guard has a better reading list than a "PROFESSIONAL?